Darkness Rising
by Nightcrawler8
Summary: In the wake of the destruction of the Avatars, the Underworld is scrambling to reorganize. An ancient evil, imprisoned for thousands of years, may be the last resort. Will the Charmed Ones be able to deal with the new threat?
1. Training

Darkness Rising  
  
(This is a continuation of the universe I started in Lineage and that appears in The Dark Half and Family Ties. It occurs about two weeks after the events of Family Ties.)  
  
CHAPTER 1: Strategy  
  
The members of the Dark Priesthood filed into their meeting chamber. The atmosphere of the room was especially somber and dreary this particular day. Word had spread that the Avatars had been destroyed, and although they did not directly influence the Underworld, their deaths were a great loss for evil. The Priests had gathered to discuss possible ways to bring power back to evil.  
  
The High Priest Anton, former warlock who had been resurrected by Damien, opened the meeting. "You all know why we are gathered here," he began. "For the first time, evil is on the edge of total collapse. The Charmed Ones have now vanquished four Sources, and the Avatars are dead at the hands of the witch Michael Smith and the former Belthazor. We must reorganize, or they will destroy us."  
  
"We should crown a new Source," suggested one Priest.  
  
"I agree that evil needs a new leader," said Anton, "but simply crowning a new Source will not be enough. The Charmed Ones' magic is strong, and as I mentioned has already been the death of four Sources. What we need is someone on our side with power greater than theirs. Had the Avatars been able to directly involve themselves with us, we would have crushed them long ago. We need someone of that level of power."  
  
"With all due respect," said another Priest, "such power no longer exists in the Underworld or among any of our ranks."  
  
"It existed once," said Anton gravely. "Perhaps the time has come to resurrect it."  
  
"How?" said another. "If you are referring to the Dark Lord himself, it is impossible. He was imprisoned thousands of years ago. No one knows where he was banished to or the spell to free his spirit."  
  
"I am currently in the process of unraveling this mystery myself," said Anton. "I shall share what I have discovered so far. The Dark Lord was not imprisoned by good alone. His imprisonment was due to a joined effort by good and evil." There was a sharp intake of breath at this statement. "I was shocked at first, until I learned why. The Dark Lord was responsible for unleashing the Hollow the first time. When the Hollow was put back in its crypt, the joined forces were determined that the Dark Lord be prevented from pursuing that course of action again, and they imprisoned him."  
  
"How do we locate his prison?"  
  
"I am uncertain at the moment," Anton reluctantly admitted. "However, there are clues in the Ancient Prophecies. They say that the Dark Lord can be loosed from his prison if the Source of All Evil was destroyed."  
  
"But has that not occurred already?" said a Priest.  
  
"I said destroyed, not vanquished. At this moment in time, I take it to mean if our entire side was wiped out, the Dark Lord would return," said Anton. "However, I am still uncertain, so I will continue to search for more clues and inform this Council when I have found the answers. This meeting is now concluded."  
  
****  
  
Halliwell Manor, San Francisco...1922  
  
"Why must you go, Louis?" asked Phoebe Russell.  
  
"I told you, my father left me his business," said Louis Smith. "My mother doesn't want to run it. My hands are tied in this matter."  
  
"But I need you here, my love," pleaded Phoebe. "My heart would die without you."  
  
"Dearest Phoebe," said Louis, cupping her cheeks and giving her a warm smile, "whether it be in this life or the next, we will be together again. I swear it." He kissed her passionately even as tears were streaming down Phoebe's cheeks. "I love you with all my heart. Remember, my love, our souls shall always find each other." Louis kissed her once more and then walked down the steps away from the Manor.  
  
Neither of them noticed the dark figure observing them across the street. "And so it begins," said the warlock Anton.  
  
****  
  
Halliwell Manor, San Francisco...2005  
  
Phoebe opened her eyes and sat up in shock.  
  
That was no dream she just had. It was in black and white.  
  
That meant it was a vision of the past, of Phoebe's past life, when the warlock Anton had seduced her into using her powers for evil.  
  
She looked at the other side of the bed at her husband and smiled. She found it interesting that just as in her life, Michael's past self had been past Phoebe's first true love, and he had also been forced to leave because of his father's death. Phoebe wondered that if Louis had been able to stay, maybe past Phoebe wouldn't have been seduced by evil.  
  
Thinking of the love past Phoebe and Louis had shared warmed Phoebe's heart. She leaned over and gave Michael a long, soft kiss on the lips. Michael stirred, and then responded as he wrapped his arms around Phoebe, holding her tight.  
  
Michael opened his eyes and smiled. "Morning, baby," he said.  
  
"Hi," she said, laying her head down on his chest.  
  
A giggling from the crib at the foot of the bed made both Michael and Phoebe sit up straight. "Well, it looks like our morning bird is up right on time," remarked Michael. The clock read 7:00 am.  
  
"Mama!" called Tom happily.  
  
"Well, I guess it's my turn," said Phoebe, getting her robe on and walking over to the crib. "Hi, sweetie," she said, lifting Tom out of the crib and resting him against her shoulder. Tom hummed to himself as Phoebe grabbed his bottle and sat down in the rocking chair.  
  
"Did you sleep well, honey?" asked Michael.  
  
"Very well, actually," said Phoebe. "I had a very interesting dream."  
  
"Want to tell me about it?" he said.  
  
"Let's just say that you've been keeping promises to me for a long time," said Phoebe, giving him a warm smile.  
  
"Ah," said Michael, realizing what she was referring to. "I guess now you realize that we really are soulmates."  
  
Phoebe looked at him with genuine surprise. "How did you know?"  
  
"Remember, I do have the ability to traverse through time," said Michael. "In this case, it was completely passive. I observed through Louis' eyes, and I felt the same pain I felt when the two of us parted company seven and a half years ago." He sighed. "I knew that even if I wanted to, I couldn't interfere with the past. I learned my lesson after...recent experiences with altering time."  
  
"I know how you feel," said Phoebe. Michael knelt next to the chair and held Phoebe's hand. "I'm very grateful that you did what you did, though. You gave me, as well as yourself, a chance to make things right, and I love you for that." She leaned down and kissed him.  
  
A tugging on her arm made Phoebe break off the kiss. "I guess Tom's done feeding," she said with a giggle. She replaced the bottle back on the dresser and put Tom back in his crib. "How about we head down and grab some breakfast?" suggested Phoebe.  
  
"Sounds good to me," said Michael, grabbing his t-shirt.  
  
****  
  
"You know, I really hate waking up in the morning and KNOWING that Leo isn't next to me," said Piper in an annoyed tone. She was serving breakfast for herself, Phoebe, Paige, and Michael, while Tom and Wyatt were in the nearby playpen. "I mean, if it was every once in a while that he had to orb out in the middle of the night, I could understand, but this is getting ridiculous, especially since that nine times out of ten, that leaves me stuck with Wyatt for half the day."  
  
"Come on, Piper;" said Paige, "you know it's his job to look out for all of us. Do you realize how many times over we'd probably be dead right now if it wasn't for his information?"  
  
"Why do you always defend him?" said Piper in mock anger.  
  
"Maybe my Whitelighter half likes to assert itself on his behalf," said Paige with a playful smile. Piper gave her a fake glare in return which melted into a warm smile. Suddenly, Cole faded into the room.  
  
"Hey, Cole!" said Michael, getting up to embrace his cousin.  
  
"How've you been, Cole?" asked Phoebe as he pulled up a chair.  
  
"I've been alright," he said. "I have to say doing work is a nice change from watching the nasty red sky of the Wasteland all day long." He chuckled.  
  
"So, what brings you by?" asked Piper pleasantly.  
  
"Well, as much as I'd wanted this to be just a visit, I do have some news for you," he said gravely. The others became more alert and turned to listen to him. At the same moment, Leo orbed in.  
  
"Perfect timing!" said Piper, pulling Leo into his chair and giving him a fake death-glare. "You were saying, Cole?"  
  
"Word on the demonic grapevine is that the Dark Priests have something big in the works," said Cole. "Nobody is really sure what, but evil is definitely up to something. You guys might want to be on the lookout for increased attacks."  
  
"Well, as it turns out, the Elders gave me pretty much the same news," said Leo. "A large number of demons and warlocks have dropped out of sight. The Elders think that the Dark Priests are training them to become an elite fighting force, and that you guys should start preparing yourselves. We could have an all out war on our hands in the near future."  
  
The others allowed the news of Cole and Leo to sink in. Phoebe spoke up first. "So, what should we do to prepare?" she asked.  
  
"It probably would be a good idea for you guys to practice using your powers in simulated combat," said Leo. "The more you refine them, the greater your powers become."  
  
"What about the kids?" Piper asked, indicating the two happy toddlers in the playpen.  
  
"I could take them to stay with my mom," suggested Michael. "I don't think she'd mind, and besides, she's pretty powerful herself." He turned to Phoebe. "Do you have any problems with that, honey?"  
  
"No, I think it's a good idea," she said. "Piper, are you ok with that?"  
  
"Yeah," she said half-heartedly. She really didn't like the idea of being separated from her son.  
  
"It'll be ok, Piper," said Leo, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  
  
****  
  
"Report," said Anton to the Priest in front of him.  
  
"The training program is in motion as we speak, my lord," said the Priest. "Soon, our soldiers will be stronger and more powerful than ever."  
  
"Good," said Anton. "Now that I've figured out the last piece of the puzzle, we just have to wait for them to make the first move."  
  
"Are you sure they will?"  
  
"Of course," said Anton with an evil grin, "especially after they learn who they're up against. Phoebe won't hesitate to take me out, not after what I did to her in her past life."  
  
****  
  
The Charmed Ones began their training that very afternoon. Hand-to- hand combat was first up on the list since this was an area where everyone could participate. Phoebe was by far the more experienced in this area, so Michael and Cole spent more time on Piper and Paige. However, when it came time to switch over to using their powers, Phoebe felt kind of left out.  
  
"You know, this is another one of those times when I really wish I had an active power," she said to Michael. "I mean levitation is all well and good, but if we're going to be facing down an army of evil soldiers, I think I'm going to need something with a little more firepower."  
  
Michael put an arm around his wife and held her close. "I know honey. If I could do something about that, I would..." He broke off as a sudden thought came to him. "Firepower..." he said to himself.  
  
"What is it?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I was just thinking about your past life," said Michael. "You had the ability to throw fire, right?"  
  
"Yeah, but I lost that power since past Phoebe abused it," Phoebe reminded him.  
  
"Maybe not," said Michael. "Isn't it possible that you could write a spell to transfer that power from past Phoebe to you right before she died?"  
  
Phoebe's face lit up with a big smile. "You are one smart witch," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I guess I really hadn't given much serious thought about doing that before now. And the last time I had that power, I was the Queen of All Evil."  
  
"But you're not evil anymore," said Michael. "And something tells me that you'll use it more judiciously that you did in your past life."  
  
"You really think this is a good idea?" said Phoebe. "I won't do this unless you're sure about it."  
  
"Trust me, if all three of you had active powers, it would help a lot in battle," said Michael reassuringly.  
  
"Ok," she said. Phoebe reached for a piece of paper and a pen. "I think I can modify the spell to call for a lost witch so I can call that power to come to me." After a minute, the spell was complete. Michael gave Phoebe one last reassuring look, and Phoebe read the spell.  
  
Power of my soul, climb. Move unseen across time. Come to me, I call you near. Come to me and settle here. Leave now from my past life's death. Enter me through this life's breath.  
  
A swirl of wind moved through the attic for a moment and then settled. Michael said, "Do you feel any different?"  
  
"No," she admitted, "but at least there are no sinister feelings or anything bad."  
  
"That's a good sign," he said. "Try summoning for a fireball."  
  
Phoebe gestured with her right hand. To her surprise, a small fireball, about the size of a baseball, formed in her hand. She grinned, and let the fireball dissipate.  
  
"Wow it worked," said Michael, pulling Phoebe into a hug. "Now, what do you say about shocking the hell out of your sisters when you go down to practice with your powers?"  
  
"I think I'm up for that," said Phoebe, giggling. She and Michael made their way downstairs to the basement.  
  
****  
  
"It's about time you showed up," said Piper to Michael and Phoebe as they came down the basement stairs. "Paige and I were starting to get bored."  
  
"Sorry," said Phoebe, giggling. "We had to take care of something." She bit her lip so she wouldn't burst out laughing.  
  
Piper immediately sensed that Phoebe was hiding something. "What did you do?" she asked in her stern older sister voice.  
  
"What makes you think I did something?" Phoebe said in her best innocent voice.  
  
"Oh, never mind!" said Piper. She never won these kinds of arguments with Phoebe.  
  
"Paige, why don't you go first? Orb some objects at Phoebe, and Phoebe, you levitate over them," said Leo.  
  
Phoebe could barely keep the laughter inside. Paige was going to be so freaked out that Phoebe would never let her live it down.  
  
"Ok," said Paige when they were in position. She spotted a staff resting against the wall. "Staff!" she called out. The staff dissipated into orbs. Paige then gestured and the staff orbed at Phoebe. Rather than levitate, Phoebe threw out her right hand, and a small fireball flew through the air and incinerated the staff.  
  
Paige's eyes grew huge. "What the hell was that?" she exclaimed.  
  
Michael and Phoebe burst out laughing. "Did you see the look on her face?" said Michael when he stopped to catch his breath.  
  
"Paige, thank you," said Phoebe. "Every time I feel rotten, I'll remember how your face looked, and it'll cheer me up right away." She started laughing again.  
  
"Um, excuse me," said Piper, "but would you mind explaining to me HOW THE HELL YOU DID THAT?!"  
  
Michael and Phoebe immediately stopped laughing at Piper's VERY serious demeanor. "Sorry, Piper, I didn't mean to upset you," said Phoebe in a much calmer tone of voice. "Michael suggested to me that it would help us if I had an active power. He came up with the idea to summon for the power I had in my past life."  
  
"Looks like it worked," said Piper. She sighed. "Next time, at least warn me before you do something like that again, ok?"  
  
"Of course, sweetie," said Phoebe. She walked over to Piper and gave her a tight sisterly hug. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought it would be a little funny to freak you guys out."  
  
"Hey, you almost gave ME a heart attack," interjected Paige.  
  
Phoebe motioned for Paige to join her and Piper. "At least next time, it won't be completely by surprise, ok?"  
  
"Ok," said Paige. "I forgive you." Then, on a flash of inspiration, she added, "Do you think I could do that too?"  
  
"You mean, summon for the power you had in your past life?" Phoebe clarified. Paige nodded. "If it worked for me, it should work for you, too. Piper, do you have any objections?"  
  
"NOW you ask my opinion?" Piper said in disbelief. Then, turning a sisterly smile toward Phoebe, she said, "I think it's a good idea, but we'll need to have the two of you develop your new powers so you can use them accurately."  
  
"I have no objection to that," said Paige. Phoebe took out the spell she had written and handed it to Paige. When Paige finished reading it, a swirl of wind went through the basement, and stopped after a moment. "Ok, better test it," she said. Paige gestured at an old jar of flour. An energy bolt leapt from her hand and disintegrated the jar. "Very cool," she said.  
  
"Well, if the two of you are done, I think we can get back to the training session," suggested Leo. Phoebe and Paige giggled. This was definitely going to be fun.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. Dark Side of the Soul

CHAPTER 2: Dark Side of the Soul  
  
By the time the first day of practice sessions was over, the girls were exhausted. Both Phoebe and Paige had to expend a lot of energy to access their new powers, but Leo assured them that in time that would fade. In addition, the training was physically exhausting for all of them. A lot of rolling, dodging, and kicking had also come out. In fact, Michael and Cole were the only ones who weren't tired.  
  
'Damn their demonic invincibility,' thought Phoebe. 'At least when I was the Source's Queen, I didn't tire myself out from using my powers.'  
  
Despite this, the training had done them all some good. Reflexes were quicker and strength was increasing. The girls had dramatically increased their accuracy with their active powers to the point where Phoebe could light a candle with a thin stream of flame from twenty feet away. Paige could do the same with her energy bolts. As for Piper, her control over freezing and blowing up objects had increased to the point where, if she wanted to, she could do both simultaneously.  
  
After they all said goodnight, Michael found Phoebe in their room sweating profusely. "Well, I guess that workout really wiped you out, didn't it?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, but it's more than that," said Phoebe. "I feel really hot right now..." As she looked at Michael, a wicked grin came to her face. "...and I don't just mean my body temperature."  
  
'Oh, boy,' thought Michael. "It's probably a side effect of the new power," said Michael quickly as Phoebe got up and walked to him, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "I mean, making fireballs generates a lot of heat, so I guess this makes some sense."  
  
"Does it bother you?" she asked seductively, reaching behind him to shut the door.  
  
"No, not really," he said as she pinned him against the wall. "This just seems strangely similar to what you told me about the time you were linked to the Succubus."  
  
"Well, I hope you don't think you'd be taking advantage of me in this state," Phoebe purred. "It's not like I'm drunk. I'm just really, really HOT."  
  
'God, if I ever piss her off, strike me dead,' thought Michael as he prepared himself for a very long night with his wife.  
  
****  
  
Anton sat back in his throne as the Dark Priests gathered for the meeting. "I'm sorry for the abrupt nature in which this meeting was called, but I felt in light of recent discoveries it was necessary." He turned to Lindor, his personal advisor, to begin the meeting.  
  
"The soldiers' training is progressing smoothly," said Lindor. "Their battle skills have already increased tremendously. It should only be another week or so before they will be ready to battle the Charmed Ones."  
  
"Good," said Damien. "Once they are ready, the Charmed Ones will no longer be of any concern to me. Now, moving forward, I have finished researching the Ancient Prophecies, and I have discovered how to free the Dark Lord's spirit."  
  
A ripple of astonishment went through the crowd.  
  
"The real trick was discovering what his prison actually was. When I discovered the truth, it all made sense. As you know, whenever we coronate a new Source, the greatest powers and evil essence are bestowed." He paused to let this sink in. "The new Source must place his hand on the Grimoire and recite the oath spell. However, has anyone considered where this powerful evil comes from?"  
  
At first the Priests were confused. Suddenly, the answer registered will shock on all their faces as they realized the truth.  
  
"Yes," continued Damien. "The Dark Lord's prison IS the Grimoire. It did not exist before the end of his reign. This was done so his power could be shared by future leaders of evil, yet the Dark Lord himself could not directly influence the events afterward. That is, until a being powerful enough to destroy the Grimoire came into existence. That time has now arrived."  
  
"But I thought the Grimoire is immune to white magic," stated one Priest.  
  
"That is a misconception," said Anton with an evil grin. "It is immune to witches' and their magic. However, those with demon blood or demonic powers can affect and use the Grimoire. And I know of two beings on the side of good with demonic powers that are powerful enough to destroy the Grimoire." He paused as the Priests now understood. "Has it become clear to you gentlemen? If our armies should fail, I guarantee you that either Michael Smith or the former Belthazor will try to destroy the Grimoire.  
  
"And when they do, they will be bringing about their own deaths."  
  
****  
  
Two weeks passed.  
  
The Charmed Ones felt more powerful than ever. Their powers were practically maxed out as far as development went, and their battle skills were near perfect. All that remained was for a plan to be put into action. And the Elders had just the thing.  
  
"They want us to do WHAT!" exclaimed Piper.  
  
"The Elders think that you guys should go down there now and hit the army before they get up here," said Leo. "If this is an all out war as they fear, they may start using magic out in the open on innocents."  
  
"We can't let that happen, Leo," said Paige.  
  
"Right, which is why there's something we can do about it," said Leo. He turned to Michael and Cole. "You two are practically invincible, right?"  
  
"Pretty much," said Michael. "The only way to kill either one of us would require stripping our powers first."  
  
"So you two could probably penetrate deep into the Underworld if you had to," continued Leo.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," agreed Cole. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"The Elders want you to go down with the girls," said Leo. "If you can make it past the army, they want you two to destroy the Grimoire."  
  
"Destroy the..." Michael started. "Leo, do you have any idea how well guarded that thing is? Not to mention the fact that we can't touch it or do anything to it."  
  
"Maybe the girls can't," Leo said, "but you can."  
  
"Why would we..." Cole trailed off.  
  
"It's because we have demonic powers, isn't it?" said Michael. "The Grimoire is immune to witches' magic, not demonic magic. That's why you guys couldn't destroy it when you vanquished the Seer."  
  
"Exactly," said Leo. "And if you destroy the Grimoire..."  
  
"Then there could never be another Source," said Michael. "The Underworld would be in chaos for years."  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Leo?" asked Cole. "There's just something about this that worries me, but I can't figure out what."  
  
"Not that I can think of," Leo replied. "The Elders say this will probably be your last chance to take them by surprise."  
  
"Well, I'm in," said Phoebe. Piper and Paige nodded their replies. Phoebe turned to Michael. "Baby?" she queried.  
  
"Why not," he said, smiling. "Are you in, Cole?"  
  
"Yeah," Cole said indistinctly. He had a very bad feeling about this, but he pushed it aside. "You guys should follow Michael and me. We know the way down better." That said, Cole blurred out and Michael shimmered with Phoebe. Paige orbed out with Piper and Leo orbed out last.  
  
****  
  
The group reappeared in the Main Chamber of the Underworld. Fifty demons and warlocks stood at attention, and on the Source's throne sat...  
  
"Anton," Phoebe said with disgust.  
  
"Surprised to see me?" he asked with an evil laugh. "You should be. I hadn't been expecting our late Source Damien to find a reason for bringing me back. But your deaths should suit me just fine." Then he yelled, "ATTACK!"  
  
The warlocks and demons began hurtling all sorts of weaponry at them, including athames, energy balls, and fireballs. However, the Charmed Ones were well prepared for the attacks. Phoebe threw fireballs and Paige shot energy bolts while Piper blew up offending soldiers while sustaining minimal injuries themselves. Michael and Cole, of course, absorbed most of the magical attacks and self-healed from any stab wounds.  
  
Within minutes, every last warlock and demon had been vanquished, and only Anton was left.  
  
"Looks like you lose," said Phoebe coldly.  
  
"Not yet, not as long as I have this," said Anton. The Grimoire appeared in his hands. "You see, all I have to do is become the Source, and then the only way to stop me is with your crystal cage, which, I see you didn't bring with you." He grinned wickedly at them. "So, what are you going to do instead?"  
  
"I was thinking about this," said Michael. He gestured and the Grimoire flew out of Anton's hands and into his own. "Game over, Anton," he said. Michael through the Grimoire up into the air and summoned Excalibur. With one sweeping move, Michael smashed the Grimoire to pieces. At that moment, Cole realized why he had been so apprehensive.  
  
And then Cole saw the dark cloud appear where Michael had smashed the Grimoire. "Oh, shit," he said.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Michael said. As they watched, the dark cloud flowed into Anton. Anton gasped and began to scream for several seconds. When it was over, he stood straight and opened his eyes. They now glowed bright red.  
  
"We've got to get out of here," said Cole.  
  
"What happened?" asked Phoebe, clinging to Michael.  
  
"The Dark Lord," Cole said. "He's back."  
  
"Yes," said Anton, "I am." He looked at Michael, and he was suddenly flung out of Phoebe's grasp and landed at Anton's feet. Phoebe moved to go after him, but Cole held her back.  
  
Anton forced Michael to look at him. "You are mine," he intoned.  
  
"What the..." Suddenly, Michael began to scream. He felt as though his insides were being ripped apart and put back together.  
  
"MICHAEL!" yelled Phoebe. She tried to run to her husband, but Cole held her firmly. "Let me go!"  
  
"You can't help him now," Cole said sadly. "It's too late."  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Phoebe snarled. Suddenly, Michael stopped screaming. He rose to his feet and looked at the others. He took a deep breath and smiled. Yet something was wrong, and Cole could sense it.  
  
"Baby, are you alright?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Yes, Phoebe," said Michael coolly. "I'm perfectly fine now." Suddenly, Michael's eyes flamed and turned black briefly, and then returned to their normal color - the mark of the Source.  
  
Phoebe felt sick. "Oh, God, no, no, no, no, not again..." She twisted out of Cole's grasp and threw up violently.  
  
"You are next," said Anton to Cole, locking his red eyes onto Cole's blue ones. Cole flew across the room and began to scream. Anton turned his attention back to Michael. "Destroy the Charmed Ones, Michael," he commanded.  
  
"As you wish, Master," said Michael. A Source-style fireball appeared in his hand.  
  
"No, Michael!" yelled Piper. "You can't do this!"  
  
"Oh, but I can," he said in an evil voice. However, just as he was about to throw it, Cole reached up and grabbed his arm.  
  
"NO!" yelled Anton. "You cannot resist my will!"  
  
"Wrong answer," said Cole, struggling with Michael. He yelled to Paige and Leo, "GO!" They grabbed Phoebe and Piper and orbed out.  
  
Michael threw Cole off of him and snarled angrily. Before he had a chance to attack, Cole blurred out.  
  
Anton grinned. "Belthazor would have been a nice bonus, but you will do fine at my right hand, Michael."  
  
Michael bowed low before the Dark Lord. "As you will, Master," he said.  
  
****  
  
Cole materialized in a very somber Halliwell Manor. Phoebe was crying hysterically, and Piper and Paige were trying to calm her down. Leo was pacing in an attempt to come up with a solution.  
  
Piper stood up as she noticed Cole, but her hopeful expression drooped as she saw that Cole was alone. Cole lifted tear filled eyes and looked at her. Piper walked over and hugged Cole tightly. Cole allowed her to hold him for a minute before disengaging himself from her embrace. Cole took Leo aside to speak in private. "How's Phoebe?" he asked.  
  
Leo sighed. "She's taking it pretty hard," he answered.  
  
"I don't know what to do, Leo," said Cole. "He's my cousin. I should have been looking out for him."  
  
"Cole, this isn't your fault," said Leo.  
  
"I knew something wasn't right about this," Cole replied in frustration. "I should have trusted my instincts and said no."  
  
"You couldn't have known what was going to happen."  
  
"I should have, Leo," Cole snapped. "And now my cousin is evil because of it."  
  
"I guess the more appropriate question is where we go from here," said Leo.  
  
"I know one thing for certain," said Cole firmly. "I won't rest until I bring Michael back."  
  
****  
  
"Michael, come forward," said Anton.  
  
"What is thy bidding, Master?" asked Michael.  
  
"As you know, the Power of Three is strong," continued Anton. "I need you to kill the Charmed Ones. Once they are dead, the threat shall be over."  
  
"As you wish, Master," said Michael with a low bow. Then he flamed out.  
  
Anton smiled. All was going according to plan. Soon evil would conquer all.  
  
****  
  
"Cole, what are you doing?" asked Piper.  
  
"Making a potion," he said. Cole had spent the last half hour in the kitchen mixing herbs.  
  
"What for?" she asked.  
  
"Trust me, it is better you don't know," he said in a tone that did not allow for argument. Piper stormed back into the living room.  
  
Cole added a little bit of ginger and the potion flamed. It was ready. Cole ladled a bit of red-colored liquid into a potion bottle and capped it. He walked back into the living room  
  
"Cole, what is the potion for?" asked Phoebe in a tired voice. She barely had any strength left.  
  
"Insurance," he said. Phoebe blanched at his cold tone. Suddenly, Michael flamed into the room.  
  
"Don't fight me," he said. "It will make your deaths much more painless."  
  
"Michael, please don't do this," begged Phoebe. "I love you."  
  
Michael looked at her, and for a brief moment, Phoebe saw the real Michael in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have no choice." He summoned a fireball. Then Cole stepped forward and grabbed him.  
  
"You may not, but I do," Cole said. He and Michael blurred out.  
  
****  
  
Cole and Michael reappeared at the penthouse. Cole shoved Michael away from him. Michael sneered at his cousin. "What did you think you'd accomplish, Cole?" he said, chuckling evilly. "You've just stalled me. After I finish you off, I'll go back and kill them."  
  
"Then I'm afraid I have no choice," said Cole gravely. He took the potion from his pocket and shattered it at Michael's feet.  
  
"What is...?" Michael started, but then he felt his strength draining from him. As it did, he could feel the evil dissipating from his soul. Just before he lost consciousness, he turned a look of gratitude at his cousin. Then he passed out.  
  
****  
  
"Where the hell did Cole take him?" yelled Phoebe. After Cole had vanished with Michael, Leo and Paige had attempted to follow but Cole had erased his trail.  
  
"I think the more important question is what that potion he made is for," said Piper.  
  
"I swear if Cole hurt him, I'll..." Phoebe never finished that sentence, for at that moment, Cole blurred into the room with Michael in his arms. Michael was pale and breathing shallowly. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!" she screamed.  
  
"I freed him," said Cole simply.  
  
Michael groaned in Cole's arms. "Oh, shit, my head hurts." Cole put Michael down on the couch. Michael's eyes fluttered and opened. "Cole?" he questioned. His cousin nodded. Then Michael's eyes fell on his wife, and a warm smile came to his face. "Phoebe..."  
  
"Oh, baby," she sobbed as she rushed over to the couch. She threw her arms around his neck and rained kisses over his face. "I was so scared," she said. "I thought I'd lost you again."  
  
"I told you I'm not going anywhere, remember?" he said, holding her against his chest.  
  
"Well, as long as I'm holding you, you are NOT leaving this house," Phoebe said firmly. She smiled at Michael and kissed him again.  
  
"So, Cole, what was that potion for?" asked Piper.  
  
"It was a binding potion," he explained. "I used it to bind Michael's powers, and in the process I severed the connection between the Dark Lord and Michael."  
  
"Clever idea," Piper remarked. "Why didn't you want us to know?"  
  
"To be honest, I didn't think you'd let me," said Cole. "It was pretty risky. There was the chance that Michael could have died from this, but it was calculated. Better that then have him be evil."  
  
"It was the right thing, Cole," said Leo. "I would have done the same."  
  
"So, how do we stop the Dark Lord?" asked Paige. "Somehow, I don't think the Power of Three is going to cut it on this one."  
  
"You're right, Paige," said Cole, getting to his feet. "But I think I know what to do." Cole blurred out without another word.  
  
****  
  
Anton was seething with rage. Only minutes after Michael had gone to kill the Charmed Ones, his control link to Michael was abruptly severed. He couldn't believe that they had been strong enough to stop him.  
  
No matter. Soon, with the Dark Lord inside of him, Anton could raise evil to a level where it would decimate the side of good forever.  
  
Anton was suddenly startled to see Cole blur into the Chamber. Anton grinned evilly. "Come to die, have you?"  
  
"I wasn't planning on it," said Cole. At that moment, eight white robed figures appeared in the Chamber.  
  
Anton's eyes widened in shock and he said, "No..."  
  
"We cannot allow a force of evil as powerful as you to run free," said Azar. The Guardians all gestured at Anton, who then fell to the floor and began to scream. A dark cloud of energy flowed out of him. The Guardians gestured again, and the broken pieces of the Grimoire flew through the air and reformed around the dark energy. The Grimoire fell to the ground. Cole gestured and the Grimoire flew into his hands.  
  
"I don't think you'll need this where you're going," said Cole. Cole threw an energy ball at Anton and vanquished him. Then Cole turned to the Guardians. "Thanks for the help."  
  
"Think nothing of it," said Azar. "We were merely maintaining the balance between good and evil." The Guardians bowed and vanished.  
  
Cole looked down at the Grimoire. "I wonder what I should do with this," he said. A grin came to Cole's face as the idea struck him. Cole blurred to the Wasteland.  
  
****  
  
By nightfall, the group was definitely in a much better mood and decided to celebrate at P3. After Cole had returned, he made up the potion to unbind Michael's powers and gave to him. The next hour was spent mostly in laughter because the rush Michael got from getting his powers back made him seem like he was high, but it wore off after that.  
  
Michael leaned back in his chair and sighed. Phoebe was snuggling comfortably with him. "I guess this was bound to happen at some point," she said.  
  
"Being possessed by evil?" Michael asked. Phoebe nodded. "It's already happened to all of you, so I guess it was inevitable." Michael paused. "I tried so hard to resist him, but I couldn't. I would have killed you if Cole hadn't stopped me."  
  
"I don't necessarily believe that," said Phoebe. "I could see the struggle in your eyes. I think that you could have stopped yourself if you had to. Either way, the important thing is that you're alright." She snuggled closer to Michael.  
  
At that moment, the others came and sat down. Michael said to Cole, "Thanks for saving me."  
  
"No problem," said Cole. "I figured the Guardians would help because they wouldn't actually be interfering in the mortal world."  
  
"Cole," said Phoebe, "I was wondering. Why were you able to resist turning evil under Anton's control?"  
  
"Because the Dark Lord can only bend demons to his will," answered Cole.  
  
"But you're a demon, too," said Paige. "Aren't you?"  
  
"No," said Cole. "I haven't been one since I came back from the Wasteland. I may have demonic powers, but I have a human soul. Michael, on the other hand, has a soul that is half human and half demon, much like mine used to be."  
  
"I guess that makes sense," said Piper.  
  
"What did you do with the Grimoire?" asked Michael.  
  
"I took it to the Wasteland," said Cole. "You see, I realized that we're the only two beings powerful enough to physically enter the Wasteland, so evil will never be able to reclaim it. It's just as safe as destroying it, except without the Dark Lord factor."  
  
"Now I see where the intelligence in our family comes from," said Michael, grinning. "It's definitely from our mothers." They all laughed warmly, relaxing in each others' company.  
  
"Well, I would like to propose a small toast," said Leo, raising his beer, "to Michael and Cole, for collectively defeating the greatest evil in the Underworld."  
  
"Hear, hear," they all said.  
  
THE END 


End file.
